NILES Mayor to file for funding for transit

Several communities have signed on to the countywide transportation plan. By DENISE DICK VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF NILES -- Mayor Ralph A. Infante Jr. plans to file an application by the end of the month to get federal money to start a countywide transportation system. Council members authorized Infante on Wednesday to file the application to the Federal Transit Administration. Council members previously had approved spending $1 per resident, or $20,932, next year for the transportation system. Liberty, Howland, Vienna also have signed on to contribute $1 per person in those communities. Warren City Council rejected the plan, and other communities, including Girard, haven't decided. Trumbull County commissioners have pledged up to $120,000 as a match for the system. The plan is to use the local money as a match for state and federal dollars. All of the federal transit money available for Mahoning and Trumbull counties, about $2.56 million this year, goes to Western Reserve Transit Authority. Loud music: Council also heard from a Neil Street resident concerned about loud music coming from vehicles in his neighborhood. Robert Lumley had attended a council meeting last month and voiced concerns about the problem and said Wednesday he wanted to see if anything had been done. Police Chief Bruce Simeone said there have been 10 arrests in recent weeks for loud music. The city's ordinance defines music as loud if it may be heard 50 feet, or about three car lengths, from the vehicle playing it, he said. An offense is a misdemeanor and punishable with a fine. Simeone said he has issued a memo to officers since the meeting where loud music was an issue, telling them to listen for offenders. But it's an issue of priorities. Citations: Officers issued more than 1,200 traffic citations from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31. Citations included running through red lights, DUI, speeding and leaving the scene of an accident. They also investigated more than 450 traffic crashes during that time and during August responded to 45 accidents with personal injuries, the chief said.